2024-2025 Around the NBA Thread

Covert Rain

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If Bridges stays here the Suns are not getting that type of deal. The only reason he is worth that now is because he got a chance to be the showcase with the Nets who had a crap roster.

I think this was the Nets plan all along. They want enough draft capital to draft potential stars for the foreseeable future.
 

Cheesebeef

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Not really. Mikal developed a secondary go-to scorer skill with the Nets which OG doesn't have. Their starting 5 with Hartenstein/Randle/OG/Mikal/Brunson plus Hart/DiVin/McBride on Bench is formidable playoff contender.
They still don’t have a legit #2 option. Mikal is a fantastic #3, but he’s not a legitimate 2 for a title contender. And they only have a good, but not even close to generational 1.

If your best two players are Brunson/Mikal, you’re a 2nd round club at best.
 

Cheesebeef

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If Bridges stays here the Suns are not getting that type of deal. The only reason he is worth that now is because he got a chance to be the showcase with the Nets who had a crap roster.

I think this was the Nets plan all along. They want enough draft capital to draft potential stars for the foreseeable future.
Yeah… I thought it was beyond bizarre that people thought the Nets should just waste the rest of his contract and not sell high when they could.
 

Phrazbit

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*******… I was wrong when I scoffed at Mikal being worth 5 first round picks.

That is a terrible trade for the Knicks. He and OG are the same player and they’ve now committed themselves to be a 45-50 and fade team from here to eternity.

OG is hurt all the time and needs a new fat contract.

Bridges is literally never hurt and on one of the best deals in the league.

Also, Bridges is quite a bit better offensively.
 

Proximo

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They still don’t have a legit #2 option. Mikal is a fantastic #3, but he’s not a legitimate 2 for a title contender. And they only have a good, but not even close to generational 1.

If your best two players are Brunson/Mikal, you’re a 2nd round club at best.
Really? Knicks played Indy tight and Indy played Boston tight.

They aren’t that far away.
 

Hoop Head

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They still don’t have a legit #2 option. Mikal is a fantastic #3, but he’s not a legitimate 2 for a title contender. And they only have a good, but not even close to generational 1.

If your best two players are Brunson/Mikal, you’re a 2nd round club at best.

They were second round before this trade with a mash unit around Brunson. Getting back a healthy Hartenstein, OG, and Randle plus Mikal puts them neck and neck with Boston.

Boston are the champs but the Knicks are no joke.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Not really. Mikal developed a secondary go-to scorer skill with the Nets which OG doesn't have. Their starting 5 with Hartenstein/Randle/OG/Mikal/Brunson plus Hart/DiVin/McBride on Bench is formidable playoff contender.
Rumors are hartenstein gone and they might struggle to retain OG. If true they haven’t gotten better.
 

clyde2tw

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They were second round before this trade with a mash unit around Brunson. Getting back a healthy Hartenstein, OG, and Randle plus Mikal puts them neck and neck with Boston.

Boston are the champs but the Knicks are no joke.
When healthy, this Knicks team would be defensively perfect to beat the Celtics, as long as Randle not being the hole on D.
 

Cheesebeef

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Really? Knicks played Indy tight and Indy played Boston tight.

They aren’t that far away.
Indy played Boston tight? They got run off the floor in 4 straight games. And the only reason Indy got there is because they played the Bucks without Giannis and Dame for multiple games.
 

Hoop Head

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When healthy, this Knicks team would be defensively perfect to beat the Celtics, as long as Randle not being the hole on D.

I think they'll flip Randle next for a more defensive minded big. Who, I don't know. I can definitely see them moving on. He works for putting up points in the regular season but he's empty calories in the playoffs.
 

GatorAZ

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The Celtics are still a bad matchup for the Knicks because they can put Jrue on Brunson. A lot will come down to which version of Julius Randle the Knicks get next year.
 

Phrazbit

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The Celtics are still a bad matchup for the Knicks because they can put Jrue on Brunson. A lot will come down to which version of Julius Randle the Knicks get next year.

If they bring OG back I think fully expect that Randle is gone.

They didn't really miss him after he went down.
 

JCSunsfan

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I love Mikal. Good grief, I still can’t bear to take his mug off my avatar which has been there since he was drafted. But the Knicks WAY overpaid for Mikal. That’s what teams do when they are taking what they believe is the last step.

I would love to have Mikal and Cam still here. But I am not going to have a lot of extra regrets because New York overpaid so much for him.
 

Hoop Head

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I love Mikal. Good grief, I still can’t bear to take his mug off my avatar which has been there since he was drafted. But the Knicks WAY overpaid for Mikal. That’s what teams do when they are taking what they believe is the last step.

I would love to have Mikal and Cam still here. But I am not going to have a lot of extra regrets because New York overpaid so much for him.

It may have been a steep price but the Knicks were viable threats this year that will move into favorites territory next year. They had trouble with health, so they went after the healthiest two way player available. They had a boatload of picks to do so. I saw they still have these picks available, post trade, so a small overpay isn't bad.

2024
1st round pick via Mavericks (24th overall)
1st round pick (25th overall)
2nd round pick (38th overall)

2025
1st round pick via Detroit (Top 13 protected)
1st round pick via Washington (Top 10 protected)
2nd round pick via Brooklyn
2nd round pick via Detroit (Top 55 protected)

2026
1st round pick
2nd round pick via Minnesota
2nd round pick via Brooklyn

2027
2nd round pick

2028
1st round pick (Brooklyn owns the right to swap)
2nd round pick via Indiana or Phoenix

2029
2nd round pick via Indiana or Washington

2030
1st round pick
2nd round pick
 

Hoop Head

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Indy played Boston tight? They got run off the floor in 4 straight games. And the only reason Indy got there is because they played the Bucks without Giannis and Dame for multiple games.

You can just say you didn't pay attention to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics won by 5, 16, 3, and 3. 3 of those games, very winnable for Indiana but they were too young and facing a more experienced team. Indiana also had the lead headed into the 4th in those 3 games that were decided by single digits.

The Bucks have collapsed twice in a row now in the first round. They aren't a powerhouse. Once can be written off as a bad year for whatever reason but when it happens 2 years in a row, it's time to prove that isn't who you are. That's where the Bucks are.
 

Phrazbit

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Love Mikal but no way dose he match up with Brown or Tatum

Boston is a balanced team. They went through the playoffs, in dominating fashion, without an MVP caliber player on their roster. Tatum is considered their star and he actually struggled in many of their games, his shooting numbers were far lower than his regular season stats.

The emphasis placed on having superstars, especially multiple stars, is a fallacy. It will become even more apparent as the years go on and this punishing CBA brings more parity. Boston has 5 different guys who can be their best player on any given night, they also have a ton of guys who grit and grind and play defense, the little things that win games. Dallas had the 2 best players in the series... Dallas got flat out demolished by a team that had 7 of the best 9 guys in the series... and most importantly, Boston's guys complimented each other and know their roles.

Boston built this monster roster on the back of a trade that very much mirrors our trade for KD, except we're on the wrong side.
 

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